Heavy-light mesons on a lattice

Several excited states of Ds and Bs mesons have been discovered in the last six years: BaBar, Cleo and Belle discovered the very narrow states D(s0)*(2317)+- and D(s1)(2460)+- in 2003, and CDF and DO Collaborations reported the observation of two narrow Bs resonances, B(s1)(5830)0 and B*(s2)(5840)0 in 2007. To keep up with experiment, meson excited states should be studied from the theoretical aspect as well. The theory that describes the interaction between quarks and gluons is quantum chromodynamics (QCD). In this thesis the properties of the meson states are studied using the discretized version of the theory - lattice QCD. This allows us to perform QCD calculations from first principles, and "measure" not just energies but also the radial distributions of the states on the lattice. This gives valuable theoretical information on the excited states, as we can extract the energy spectrum of a static-light meson up to D wave states (states with orbital angular momentum L=2). We are thus able to predict where some of the excited meson states should lie. We also pay special attention to the order of the states, to detect possible inverted spin multiplets in the meson spectrum, as predicted by H. Schnitzer in 1978. This inversion is connected to the confining potential of the strong interaction. The lattice simulations can also help us understand the strong interaction better, as the lattice data can be treated as "experimental" data and used in testing potential models. In this thesis an attempt is made to explain the energies and radial distributions in terms of a potential model based on a one-body Dirac equation. The aim is to get more information about the nature of the confining potential, as well as to test how well the one-gluon exchange potential explains the short range part of the interaction.

Reynolds stress and heat flux in spherical shell convection

Context. Turbulent fluxes of angular momentum and heat due to rotationally affected convection play a key role in determining differential rotation of stars. Aims. We compute turbulent angular momentum and heat transport as functions of the rotation rate from stratified convection. We compare results from spherical and Cartesian models in the same parameter regime in order to study whether restricted geometry introduces artefacts into the results. Methods. We employ direct numerical simulations of turbulent convection in spherical and Cartesian geometries. In order to alleviate the computational cost in the spherical runs and to reach as high spatial resolution as possible, we model only parts of the latitude and longitude. The rotational influence, measured by the Coriolis number or inverse Rossby number, is varied from zero to roughly seven, which is the regime that is likely to be realised in the solar convection zone. Cartesian simulations are performed in overlapping parameter regimes. Results. For slow rotation we find that the radial and latitudinal turbulent angular momentum fluxes are directed inward and equatorward, respectively. In the rapid rotation regime the radial flux changes sign in accordance with earlier numerical results, but in contradiction with theory. The latitudinal flux remains mostly equatorward and develops a maximum close to the equator. In Cartesian simulations this peak can be explained by the strong 'banana cells'. Their effect in the spherical case does not appear to be as large. The latitudinal heat flux is mostly equatorward for slow rotation but changes sign for rapid rotation. Longitudinal heat flux is always in the retrograde direction. The rotation profiles vary from anti-solar (slow equator) for slow and intermediate rotation to solar-like (fast equator) for rapid rotation. The solar-like profiles are dominated by the Taylor-Proudman balance.

Total hip arthroplasty in young patients : with special references to patients under 55 years of age and to patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip

There is an ongoing controversy as to which methods in total hip arthroplasty (THA) could provide young patients with best long-term results. THA is an especially demanding operation in patients with severely dysplastic hips. The optimal surgical treatment for these patients also remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival of THA in young patients (<55 years at the time of the primary operation) on a nation-wide level, and to analyze the long-term clinical and radio-graphical outcome of uncemented THA in patients with severely dysplastic joints. Survival of 4661 primary THAs performed for primary osteoarthritis (OA), 2557 primary THAs per-formed for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and modern uncemented THA designs performed for primary OA in young patients, were analysed from the Finnish Arthroplasty Register. A total of 68 THAs were per-formed in 56 consecutive patients with high congenital hip dislocation between 1989-1994, and 68 THAs were performed in 59 consecutive patients with severely dysplastic hips and a previous Schanz osteotomy of the femur between 1988-1995 at the Orton Orthopaedic Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. These patients underwent a detailed physical and radiographical evaluation at a mean of 12.3 years and 13.0 years postoperatively, respectively. The risk of stem revision due to aseptic loosening in young patients with primary OA was higher for cemented stems than for proximally porous-coated or HA-coated uncemented stems implanted over the 1991-2001 period. There was no difference in the risk of revision between all-poly cemented-cups and press-fit porous-coated uncemented cups implanted during the same period, when the end point was defined as any revision (including exchange of liner). All uncemented stem designs studied in young patients with primary OA had >90% survival rates at 10 years. The Biomet Bi-Metric stem had a 95% (95% CI 93-97) survival rate even at 15 years. When the end point was defined as any revision, 10 year survival rates of all uncemented cup designs except the Harris-Galante II decreased to <80%. In young patients with RA, the risk of stem revision due to aseptic loosening was higher with cemented stems than with proximally porous-coated uncemented stems. In contrast, the risk of cup revision was higher for all uncemented cup concepts than for all-poly cemented cups with any type of cup revision as the end point. The Harris hip score increased significantly (p<0.001) both in patients with high con-genital hip dislocation and in patients with severely dysplastic hips and a previous Schanz osteotomy, treated with uncemented THA. There was a negative Trendelenburg sign in 92% and in 88% of hips, respectively. There were 12 (18%) and 15 (22%) perioperative complications. The rate of survival for the CDH femoral components, with revision due to aseptic loosening as the end point, was 98% (95% CI 97-100) at 10 years in patients with high hip dislocation and 92% (95% CI, 86-99) at 14 years in patients with a previous Schanz osteotomy. The rate of survival for press-fit, porous-coated acetabular components, with revision due to aseptic loosening as the end point, was 95% (95% CI 89-100) at 10 years in patients with high hip dislocation, and 98% (95% CI 89-100) in patients with a previous Schanz osteotomy. When revision of the cup for any reason was defined as the end point, 10 year sur-vival rates declined to 88% (95% CI 81-95) and to 69% (95% CI, 56-82), respectively. For young patients with primary OA, uncemented proximally circumferentially porous- and HA-coated stems are the implants of choice. However, survival rates of modern uncemented cups are no better than that of all-poly cemented cups. Uncemented proximally circumferentially porous-coated stems and cemented all-poly cups are currently the implants of choice for young patients with RA. Uncemented THA, with placement of the cup at the level of the true acetabulum, distal advancement of the greater trochanter and femoral shortening osteotomy provided patients with high congenital hip dislocation good long-term outcomes. Most of the patients with severely dysplastic hips and a previous Schanz osteotomy can be successfully treated with the same method. However, the subtrochanteric segmental shortening with angular correction gives better leg length correction for the patients with a previous low-seated unilateral Schanz osteotomy.

Digitoitujen väri-infrailmakuvien numeerinen monikuvatulkinta metsäninventoinnissa

The use of remote sensing imagery as auxiliary data in forest inventory is based on the correlation between features extracted from the images and the ground truth. The bidirectional reflectance and radial displacement cause variation in image features located in different segments of the image but forest characteristics remaining the same. The variation has so far been diminished by different radiometric corrections. In this study the use of sun azimuth based converted image co-ordinates was examined to supplement auxiliary data extracted from digitised aerial photographs. The method was considered as an alternative for radiometric corrections. Additionally, the usefulness of multi-image interpretation of digitised aerial photographs in regression estimation of forest characteristics was studied. The state owned study area located in Leivonmäki, Central Finland and the study material consisted of five digitised and ortho-rectified colour-infrared (CIR) aerial photographs and field measurements of 388 plots, out of which 194 were relascope (Bitterlich) plots and 194 were concentric circular plots. Both the image data and the field measurements were from the year 1999. When examining the effect of the location of the image point on pixel values and texture features of Finnish forest plots in digitised CIR photographs the clearest differences were found between front-and back-lighted image halves. Inside the image half the differences between different blocks were clearly bigger on the front-lighted half than on the back-lighted half. The strength of the phenomenon varied by forest category. The differences between pixel values extracted from different image blocks were greatest in developed and mature stands and smallest in young stands. The differences between texture features were greatest in developing stands and smallest in young and mature stands. The logarithm of timber volume per hectare and the angular transformation of the proportion of broadleaved trees of the total volume were used as dependent variables in regression models. Five different converted image co-ordinates based trend surfaces were used in models in order to diminish the effect of the bidirectional reflectance. The reference model of total volume, in which the location of the image point had been ignored, resulted in RMSE of 1,268 calculated from test material. The best of the trend surfaces was the complete third order surface, which resulted in RMSE of 1,107. The reference model of the proportion of broadleaved trees resulted in RMSE of 0,4292 and the second order trend surface was the best, resulting in RMSE of 0,4270. The trend surface method is applicable, but it has to be applied by forest category and by variable. The usefulness of multi-image interpretation of digitised aerial photographs was studied by building comparable regression models using either the front-lighted image features, back-lighted image features or both. The two-image model turned out to be slightly better than the one-image models in total volume estimation. The best one-image model resulted in RMSE of 1,098 and the two-image model resulted in RMSE of 1,090. The homologous features did not improve the models of the proportion of broadleaved trees. The overall result gives motivation for further research of multi-image interpretation. The focus may be improving regression estimation and feature selection or examination of stratification used in two-phase sampling inventory techniques. Keywords: forest inventory, digitised aerial photograph, bidirectional reflectance, converted image co­ordinates, regression estimation, multi-image interpretation, pixel value, texture, trend surface

Primary total hip arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis in Finland : A national register based analysis

The first aim of the current study was to evaluate the survival of total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients aged 55 years and older on a nation-wide level. The second aim was to evaluate, on a nation wide-basis, the geographical variation of the incidence of primary THA for primary OA and also to identify those variables that are possibly associated with this variation. The third aim was to evaluate the effects of hospital volume: on the length of stay, on the numbers of re-admissions and on the numbers of complications of THR on population-based level in Finland. The survival of implants was analysed based on data from the Finnish Arthroplasty Register. The incidence and hospital volume data were obtained from the Hospital Discharge Register. Cementless total hip replacements had a significantly reduced risk of revision for aseptic loosening compared with cemented hip replacements. When revision for any reason was the end point in the survival analyses, there were no significant differences found between the groups. Adjusted incidence ratios of THA varied from 1.9- to 3.0-fold during the study period. Neither the average income within a region nor the morbidity index was associated with the incidence of THA. For the four categories of volume of total hip replacements performed per hospital, the length of the surgical treatment period was shorter for the highest volume group than for the lowest volume group. The odds ratio for dislocations was significantly lower in the high volume group than in the low volume group. In patients who were 55 years of age or older, the survival of cementless total hip replacements was as good as that of the cemented replacements. However, multiple wear-related revisions of the cementless cups indicate that excessive polyethylene wear was a major clinical problem with modular cementless cups. The variation in the long-term rates of survival for different cemented stems was considerable. Cementless proximal porous-coated stems were found to be a good option for elderly patients. When hip surgery was performed on with a large repertoire, the indications to perform THAs due to primary OA were tight. Socio-economic status of the patient had no apparent effect on THA rate. Specialization of hip replacements in high volume hospitals should reduce costs by significantly shortening the length of stay, and may reduce the dislocation rate.

Total Hip and Knee Arthoplasty for Osteoarthritis : Factors Related to the Early Outcome of Surgery

Some perioperative clinical factors related to the primary cemented arthroplasty operation for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee joint are studied and discussed in this thesis. In a randomized, double-blind study, 39 patients were divided into two groups: one receiving tranexamic acid and the other not receiving it. Tranexamic acid was given in a dose of 10 mg/kg before the operation and twice thereafter, at 8-hour intervals. Total blood loss was smaller in the tranexamic acid group than in the control group. No thromboembolic complications were noticed. In a prospective, randomized study, 58 patients with hip arthroplasty and 39 patients with knee arthroplasty were divided into groups with postoperative closed-suction drainage and without drainage. There was no difference in healing of the wounds, postoperative blood transfusions, complications or range of motion. As a result of this study, the use of drains is no longer recommended. In a randomised study the effectiveness of a femoral nerve block (25 patients) was compared with other methods of pain control (24 patients) on the first postoperative day after total knee arthroplasty. The femoral block consisted of a single injection administered at patients´ bedside during the surgeon´s hospital rounds. Femoral block patients reported less pain and required half of the amount of oxycodone. Additional femoral block or continued epidural analgesia was required more frequently by the control group patients. Pain management with femoral blocks resulted in less work for nursing staff. In a retrospective study of 422 total hip and knee arthroplasty cases the C-reactive protein levels and clinical course were examined. After hip and knee arthroplasty the maximal C-reactive protein values are seen on the second and third postoperative days, after which the level decreases rapidly. There is no difference between patients with cemented or uncemented prostheses. Major postoperative complications may cause a further increase in C-reactive protein levels at one and two weeks. In-hospital and outpatient postoperative control radiographs of 200 hip and knee arthroplasties were reviewed retrospectively. If postoperative radiographs are of good quality, there seems to be no need for early repetitive radiographs. The quality and safety of follow-up is not compromised by limiting follow-up radiographs to those with clinical indications. Exposure of the patients and the staff to radiation is reduced. Reading of the radiographs by only the treating orthopaedic surgeon is enough. These factors may seem separate from each other, but linking them together may help the treating orthopaedic surgeon to adequate patient care strategy. Notable savings can be achieved.

Planar Edgeless Detectors for the TOTEM Experiment at the LHC

The TOTEM experiment at the LHC will measure the total proton-proton cross-section with a precision better than 1%, elastic proton scattering over a wide range in momentum transfer -t= p^2 theta^2 up to 10 GeV^2 and diffractive dissociation, including single, double and central diffraction topologies. The total cross-section will be measured with the luminosity independent method that requires the simultaneous measurements of the total inelastic rate and the elastic proton scattering down to four-momentum transfers of a few 10^-3 GeV^2, corresponding to leading protons scattered in angles of microradians from the interaction point. This will be achieved using silicon microstrip detectors, which offer attractive properties such as good spatial resolution (<20 um), fast response (O(10ns)) to particles and radiation hardness up to 10^14 "n"/cm^2. This work reports about the development of an innovative structure at the detector edge reducing the conventional dead width of 0.5-1 mm to 50-60 um, compatible with the requirements of the experiment.

X-ray scattering and diffraction enhanced imaging studies of in vitro breast tissues

This thesis is a study of the x-ray scattering properties of tissues and tumours of the breast. Clinical radiography is based on the absorption of the x-rays when passing right through the human body and gives information about the densities of the tissues. Besides being absorbed, x-rays may change their direction within the tissues due to elastic scattering or even to refraction. The phenomenon of scattering is a nuisance to radiography in general, and to mammography in particular, because it reduces the quality of the images. However, scattered x-rays bear very useful information about the structure of the tissues at the supra-molecular level. Some pathologies, like breast cancer, produce alterations to the structures of the tissues, being especially evident in collagen-rich tissues. On the other hand, the change of direction due to refraction of the x-rays on the tissue boundaries can be mapped. The diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) technique uses a perfect crystal to convert the angular deviations of the x-rays into intensity variations, which can be recorded as images. This technique is of especial interest in the cases were the densities of the tissues are very similar (like in mammography) and the absorption images do not offer enough contrast. This thesis explores the structural differences existing in healthy and pathological collagen in breast tissue samples by the small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) technique and compares these differences with the morphological information found in the DEI images and the histo-pathology of the same samples. Several breast tissue samples were studied by SAXS technique in the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. Scattering patterns of the different tissues of the breast were acquired and compared with the histology of the samples. The scattering signals from adipose tissue (fat), connective tissue (collagen) and necrotic tissue were identified. Moreover, a clear distinction could be done between the scattering signals from healthy collagen and from collagen from an invasive tumour. Scattering from collagen is very characteristic. It includes several scattering peaks and scattering features that carry information about the size and the spacing of the collagen fibrils in the tissues. It was found that the collagen fibrils in invaded tumours were thinner and had a d-spacing length 0,7% longer that fibrils from healthy tumours. The scattering signals from the breast tissues were compared with the histology by building colour-coded maps across the samples. They were also imaged with the DEI technique. There was a total agreement between the scattering maps, the morphological features seen in the images and the information of the histo- pathological examination. The thesis demonstrates that the x-ray scattering signal can be used to characterize tissues and that it carries important information about the pathological state of the breast tissues, thus showing the potential of the SAXS technique as a possible diagnostic tool for breast cancer.

Electronic excitations in solids studied using inelastic x-ray scattering

Inelastic x-ray scattering can be used to study the electronic structure of matter. The x rays scattered from the target both induce and carry information on the electronic excitations taking place in the system. These excitations are the manifestations of the electronic structure and the physics governing the many-body system. This work presents results of non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering experiments on a range of materials including metallic, insulating and semiconducting compounds as well as an organic polymer. The experiments were carried out at the National Synchrotron Light Source, USA and at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, France. The momentum transfer dependence of the experimental valence- and core-electron excitation spectra is compared with the results of theoretical first principles computations that incorporate the electron-hole interaction. A recently developed method for analyzing the momentum transfer dependence of core-electron excitation spectra is studied in detail. This method is based on real space multiple scattering calculations and is used to extract the angular symmetry components of the local unoccupied density of final states.

Diffraction and Total Cross-Section at the Tevatron and the LHC

At the Tevatron, the total p_bar-p cross-section has been measured by CDF at 546 GeV and 1.8 TeV, and by E710/E811 at 1.8 TeV. The two results at 1.8 TeV disagree by 2.6 standard deviations, introducing big uncertainties into extrapolations to higher energies. At the LHC, the TOTEM collaboration is preparing to resolve the ambiguity by measuring the total p-p cross-section with a precision of about 1 %. Like at the Tevatron experiments, the luminosity-independent method based on the Optical Theorem will be used. The Tevatron experiments have also performed a vast range of studies about soft and hard diffractive events, partly with antiproton tagging by Roman Pots, partly with rapidity gap tagging. At the LHC, the combined CMS/TOTEM experiments will carry out their diffractive programme with an unprecedented rapidity coverage and Roman Pot spectrometers on both sides of the interaction point. The physics menu comprises detailed studies of soft diffractive differential cross-sections, diffractive structure functions, rapidity gap survival and exclusive central production by Double Pomeron Exchange.

Searching the inclusive ℓγE̸T+b-quark signature for radiative top quark decay and non-standard-model processes

In a search for new phenomena in a signature suppressed in the standard model of elementary particles (SM), we compare the inclusive production of events containing a lepton, a photon, significant transverse momentum imbalance (MET), and a jet identified as containing a b-quark, to SM predictions. The search uses data produced in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.96 TeV corresponding to 1.9 fb-1 of integrated luminosity taken with the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We find 28 lepton+photon+MET+b events versus an expectation of 31.0+4.1/-3.5 events. If we further require events to contain at least three jets and large total transverse energy, simulations predict that the largest SM source is top-quark pair production with an additional radiated photon, ttbar+photon. In the data we observe 16 ttbar+photon candidate events versus an expectation from SM sources of 11.2+2.3/-2.1. Assuming the difference between the observed number and the predicted non-top-quark total is due to SM top quark production, we estimate the ttg cross section to be 0.15 +- 0.08 pb.

Transverse momentum and pseudorapidity distributions of charged hadrons in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 0.9 and 2.36 TeV

Measurements of inclusive charged-hadron transverse-momentum and pseudorapidity distributions are presented for proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 0.9 and 2.36 TeV. The data were collected with the CMS detector during the LHC commissioning in December 2009. For non-single-diffractive interactions, the average charged-hadron transverse momentum is measured to be 0.46 +/- 0.01 (stat.) +/- 0.01 (syst.) GeV/c at 0.9 TeV and 0.50 +/- 0.01 (stat.) +/- 0.01 (syst.) GeV/c at 2.36 TeV, for pseudorapidities between -2.4 and +2.4. At these energies, the measured pseudorapidity densities in the central region, dN(charged)/d(eta) for |eta|